Base and Superstructure

Alienation, autonomy, and ideology

A map of the United States with the flag super-imposed over the document, representing the notion of a 'tea party of the left.'

Is DSA the Tea Party of the Left?

September 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments

In a rare moment of thoughtful reflection, ‘small government’ conservative pundits now acknowledge there was a never a massive wave of support for the Tea Party and their ilk. Voters wanted the loudest anti-Obama voice in the room, and the Tea Party delivered.

This history haunts me when I hear pundits call the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) the ‘Tea Party of the Left.’

But that’s not quite what pundits mean when the make the accusation. We’ll start with their actual meaning before moving on to the far more concerning reality.

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A photo of Chuck Schumer with the caption 'Democrats Sick of Being Blamed For Cowardice On Issues They Actually Just Don't Care About.'

How to Deal with Democrats

September 21, 2026 / / 0 Comments

A leftist friend told me during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries that being a Democrat felt like being in an abusive relationship. And indeed, as leftists, our electoral battles with Democrats end in wailing and gnashing of teeth. It all arises from how we situate ourselves with respect to the Democratic Party.

But we can redefine our relationship with Democrats. In doing so, we will not only relieve our distress, but also position ourselves to build meaningful, sustained power.

I’ll start by sketching a false assumption that drives leftist electoral strategy. Rejecting this assumption frees us to build a more productive relationship with Democrats. And with that relationship in place, we can organize with clear purpose.

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This is a photo of sex worker activists. One holds a heart shaped pink sign reading, "No Bad women just bad laws!" and the other holds a white sign reading, "There are many reasons why women have sex - money is one!"

The Trouble with Sex Work

September 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Attitudes toward sex work have split leftists for decades. The trouble with sex work is that it pushes people into sharply opposed camps. Two camps begin with certain assumptions, dig in, and then come up with little in the way of productive engagement with the other side.

But I think we can remedy this. As it happens, the two camps each base their views around a core truth.

By excavating these two core truths, we can come up with a better approach.

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